Well packer



R. C. RUMBLE Feb. 19, 1957 WELL PACKER Filed Deo. 17

INVENTOR. Robert C. Rumble.

A7'7'0R EX m 2 M l Il ||..l|||||| I l I I I I I I l l l l I l l l a d 5 m n. 5 y wmw Gn f QQ United States Patent O WELL PACKER Robert C. Rumble, Houston, Tex., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Esso Research and Engineering Company, Elizabeth, N. I., a corporation of Delaware Application December 17, 1953, Serial No. 398,720 7 Claims. (Cl. 166-120) The present invention is directed to a well packer suitable for use in well bores in subsurface earth formations. More particularly, the invention is directed to a well packer which will eiectively seal against the well bore under low pressures. In its more speciiic aspects, the invention is directed to a well packer provided with a deformable packing member for use in well ow meters.

The present invention may be briefly described as a well packer which comprises, in combination, a mandrel provided with a central or longitudinal passageway having a port uidly communicating the passageway with an exterior surface of the mandrel intermediate upper and lower ends of the mandrel. A body member is attached to the lower end of the mandrel and the body member is provided with a fluid entry port which communicates with the passageway. The body member is provided with engaging means for engaging the packer with the wall of the well. The mandrel is provided on its upper end with an external shoulder which rests upon an internal shoulder of a slidable sleeve mounted on the upper end of the mandrel above the port on the mandrel. Spring members are attached to the lower end of the slidable sleeve and to the upper end of the body member; surrounding the spring members is a deformable packing member attached at its upper end to the lower end of the slidable sleeve and by its lower end to the upper end of the body member. The deformable packing member encloses a space in communication with the port on the mandrel communicating with the passageway. The well packer is provided with means for inilating the deformable member to engage with the wall of the well and moving the slidable sleeve on the mandrel toward the body member to compress the spring members.

The packer of the present invention may suitably be used in oil wells to isolate a lower zone from an upper zone and to direct the ilow of uids through a selected route or channel. The invention has wide utility in well bores; thus by means of my invention it is possible to direct the ow from a lower section to an upper section of the well or vice versa, so that the rate of ow may be measured.

The invention will be further illustrated by reference to the drawing in which Figs. l and 2 comprise a sectional view of the apparatus on' lowering into a well bore; j

Pig. 3 shows a view of the apparatus `of Fig. 1 with the deformable packing member in partial expanded position;v

and

Fig. 4 is a sectionalfview ,of the packing member in completely expanded position eiecting a seal.

Referring now to the drawing, numeral 11 designates a movable member or a slidable sleeve Aprovided on an upper end thereof with a cage 12 to which is attached a fishing spear 13 shown suspended by an engaging means 14 from a wire line 15, the spear 13 being releasably connected to the engaging means 14 and wire line 15. The movable member or sleeve 11 is mounted on a mandrel 16 von an upper end of which is provided an external shoulder 2,781,852 Patented Feb. 1 9, 1951 ice 17 which is designed to rest on an internal shoulder 18 of the slidable sleeve 11. The sleeve 11 is provided with the recess 19 in which is arranged a packing member, such as an -ring 20, which makes a seal between the mandrel 16 and the member 11.

VThe mandrel 16 has a central or longitudinal passage way 21 and is provided with a fluid port 22 which communicates the central passageway 21 with an external surface of the mandrel 16. The mandrel 16 is connected to or made an integral part of the body member 23 which is Yprovided with a fluid entry port 24 which communicates with passageway 21. The lower end of the slidable sleeve 11 is connected by hinges 25a to a plurality of horizontally spaced apart spring members 25 which may be, for example, six in number spaced at intervals about the mandrel 16. The spring members 25 connect on their lower end with the upper end of the body member 23 by hinges 251). A

Surrounding the spring members 2S and connected to the lower end of the sleeve 11 and the upper end of the body member 23 is a deformable packing member 26 which encloses a space 27 in communication through port 22 with the central passageway 21.

The lower end of the body member 23 attaches by means of threads 65 with a dashpot release mechanism generally indicated by numeral 23a. Housing section 23b is similar to 23a to which it is joined by coupling member 42. Housed in section 23b is an engaging means 29 for anchoring or latching the packing assembly against the wall of the well bore.

The dashpot release assembly 23a comprises a chamber 63 in which is mounted a pressure equalizing means 30 which may suitably be a bladder element or diaphragm which is in uid communication through a port 31 with the well uids. The interior of the bladder element communicates by passageway 32 with a chamber 34 in the dashpot assembly 23a in which is arranged a piston 35 provided with port 38 and check valve 39. Chamber 34 is equipped with ller port 33 and sealing plug 33a. Connected to the piston 35 is a longitudinal member 40 which extends through a wall member 42a and terminates in a button`28. Wall member 42 engages housing 23a by means of threads 45. The member is suitably sealed against entry of iluids through the wall member 42a by means of an 0-ring 43 arranged ina recess 44 in the wall member 42a.

The piston member 35 is urged in a downward direction by a biasing means, such as a helical coil tension spring 41, which urges the piston 35 downwardly in the chamber 34.

Protruding into a chamber 47 through a wall member is an extension member 49 provided with an actuating button or Ymember 48 which is arranged Yin operative relationship with actuating button or member 28 of the extension member 40. The extension member 49 is connected to a spring retaining ,washer arranged in a chamber 53 in body member 23b. The washer member 55 is normally urged in a downward direction by a biasing means, such as a helical coil spring 54 which is in contact with the upper end of chamber 53 and thevwasher 55. The washer 55 isrin operative relationship or may Y be connected to a rack member 56 provided with a'guide member 58 which is designed to move in a. channel 62 in the lower end 60 of body member 23b. A plurality of spaced apart setting dogs 29, which may be three iny number, are pivotally connected by means of pins 66 to the body member 23b. Body member 23b engages wall member 42a by means of threadsf46. The setting dogs 29 are provided with gripping or engaging means 59 vfor engaging the wall of the well bore and are normally arranged in a recess 67 of the body member 23b. The teeth members 57 of the setting dogs engage with the rack 56 as shown.

The extension member 49 has a recessed portion 68 to receive a latching sphere or detent 52 which is'biased or urgedinto the recess 68 by means of a biasing means, such as a spring 51, arranged in the recess 69. The biased sphere 52 serves to hold the extension member 49 in a latched position when the setting dogs 29 are noperative.

T he dashpot assembly 23a is made operative by lling it with a hydraulic uid such as a silicone iluid and the like having a viscosity of about 45,000 SSU at 100 F. The uid is introduced through port 33 fitted with closing plug 33a so as to displace all the air in pressure equalizing means 3G `and chamber 34 in which moves piston 35.

Prior to lowering the device in the well, the instrument would be opened between wall member 42a and body member 23h by disengaging threads 46. in member 23b button 48 would be retracted until rod 49 was held by spherical means 52 resting in groove 68 of rod 49. The dashpot would be cocked by depressing button 28 to force piston 3S upward so that the hydraulic fluid would tiow downward through port 38 and check valve 39 in piston 35. The exact time would be noted after button 23 had been forced inward to contact wall member 42 and was released. The instrument would be immediately reassembled by engaging threads 46 and would be lowered on the wire line 15, as shown in Figures l and 2 to the desired depth in a well such as 70 shown in Figure 3.

During the lowering of the instrument into the well and subsequently until a definite time interval after cocking the dashpot has transpired, the piston 3S in chamber 34 moves downward urged by biasing means 41 as hydraulic tiuid flows upward through port 3S but not Slackening off slowly on supporting line 15 causes member .il to move downward with reference to mandrel 16 and body member 23 Ysupported in the well bore by dogs 29. This movement of member 1l with respect to member 23 places leaf springs 25 under a compressional force so that they bow outward against form 26 to cause r well fluids to enter through port 22 until member 11,V

springs 25, and form 26 assume the position shown in Figure 3. v v Y Further slackening ofi on wire line causes O-ring 2li in member ll to move downward past port 22 and trap the iluid under bellows or diaphragm 26 so that as member 11 continues to moveY downward toward and into contact with member Z3 the entrapped uid will be compressed to stretch bellows member `26 and force it into sealing contact with the Walls of well 70 as shown in Figure 4. ln this manner, a tight seal is effected isolating the upper portion 7l from lower portion 72 of well 70.

When it isdesired to change the position of the packing assembly of the present invention or remove it from the `wcll 70, the movable sleeve 11 may be raised by taking up slack on the wire line Vl5. The fluid in the space 27 then escapes through the port 22 which would be uncovered by the sleeve i1 forcing the fluid `through the central passageway 21 and outward through port 24 into the well.

The dogs drag the bore hole wall as the instrument is raised to a higher level. The instrument may be reset at any higher level by slackening off on the line at the desired level. The latching dogs 29 are forced back into the recess 67 when the instrument enters the tubing.

The device of the present invention is particularly suitable for use as a wire line tool which may be lowered through a tubing or pipe string and the like, the outer diameter of the body member 23 being suitably sized to allow free passageway through a tubing even though the well be owing. Of course the sleeve 11 would also be of a diameter no greater than the diameter of the body member 23.

The spring members 25 are suitably connected to the sleeve i1 and the body member 23 such as by hinging the spring members thereto. These spring members may be iiat leaf springs of suitable construction to bow outwardly against the deformable member 26 prior to entry of fluid into the space 27.

The. bladder member 30 should be suitably sized with respect to the working area of the cylinder chamber 34 to allow for temperature expansion of the hydraulic tluid in the dashpot.

Although I have illustrated my invention by a particuiar dashpot release mechanism, it is to be understood that other dashpot release assemblies` may be used. Also while l have illustrated the invention by latching dogs, other engaging means may be used to engage with the wall of the well and to anchor the apparatus.

it is desirable that the deformable packing member be pre-formed to approximate the diameter of the well bore or hole into which the instrument is to be run. This allows pressure to be exerted to seal the hole.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been completely described and illustrated, what I wish to claim as new and useful and to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A well packer which comprises, in combination, a mandrel provided with a longitudinal passageway for tlow of uids therethrough and having a port uidly communicating said passageway with an exterior surface of the mandrel, a body member attached to the mandrel, a slidable member mounted on the mandrel, a plurality 4of circumferentially spaced apart spring members attached to said slidable member and to said body member, and a deformable packing member attached to said slidable member and to said body-member surrounding said spring members and enclosing a space in communication with the port on the mandrel communicating with the passageway whereby movement of said slidable member toward the body member expands said spring members laterally thereby to permit well uids to enter filling said space through said port, and further movement of said slidable member past said port toward said body member entraps said well lluid in said space and expands the deformable packing member against the wall of the wcll.

2.' A well packer which comprises, in combination, a mandrel provided with a longitudinal passageway for llow of liuids therethrough and having a port tluidly` communicating said passageway with an exterior surface of the mandrel, a body member attached to tbe mandrel, movable means arranged on said body member for engaging with the wall of the well, means operatively connected to said well wall engaging means adapted to move said well wall engaging means into engagement with said well wall, a sldable member releasablyV mounted on the` mandrel, a plurality of crcumferentially spaced apart spring membersattached to said slidable member and to said body member, a deformable packing member attached to said slidable member and to said body member Vsurromiding said spring members and enclosing aspace Vin communication with the port on the mandrel communieating with the passageway whereby movement of said slidable member ltoward the body member expands said spring members laterally thereby to permit well fluids to enter filling said space through said port and further movement of said slidable member past said port toward said body member entraps said well tluid `in said space arenaria and expands the deformable packing member against the wall of the well.

3. A well packer which comprises, in combination, a mandrel provided with a longitudinal passageway for iiow of lluids therethrough and having a port fluidly communicating said passageway with an exterior surface of the mandrel, a body member Vattached to the mandrel and provided with a fluid entry port communicating with said passageway, movable means arranged on said body member for engaging with the wall of the well, delayed action means operatively connected to said wall engaging means adapted to move said wall engaging means into engagement with said well wall, a slidable member mounted on the mandrel above the port on the mandrel, a plurality of circumfercntially spaced apart spring members attached to said slidable member and to said body member, a deformable packing member attached to said slidable member and to said body member and surrounding said spring members and enclosing a space in communication with the port on the mandrel communicating with the passageway whereby movement of said slidable member toward the body member expands said spring members laterally thereby to permit well fluids to enter lling said space through said port and further movement of said slidable member toward said body member entraps said well lluids in said space and expands the deformable packing member against the wall of the well, and means for lowering and raising said slidable member.

4. A well packer in accordance with claim 3 in which the wall engaging means comprises at least a dog and means for urging said dog into contact with the wall of the well.

5. A well packer which comprises, in combination, a mandrel provided with a longitudinal passageway for llow of fluids therethrough and having a port lluidly communicating said passageway with an exterior surface of the mandrel, a body member attached to the mandrel and provided with a lluid entry port communicating with said passageway, means arranged on said body member for engaging with the wall of the well comprising a plurality of dogs and a dashpot assembly provided with a piston operatively connected to said dogs for urging said dogs into contact with the wall of the well, a slidable member mounted on the mandrel, a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart spring members attached to said slidable sleeve and to said body member, a deformable packing member attached to said slidable member and to said body member and surrounding said spring members and enclosing a space in communication with the port on the mandrel communicating with the passageway whereby movement of said slidable member toward the body member expands said spring members laterally thereby to permit well fluids to enter filling Asaid space through said port and further movement of said slidable member toward said body member entraps said well fluid in said space and expands the deformable packing member against the wall of the well, and means for lowering and raising said slidable member.

6. A well packer which comprises, in combination, a mandrel provided with a longitudinal passageway for flow of fluids therethrough and having a port fluidly communicating said passageway with an exterior surface of the mandrel, a body member attached to the first end of the mandrel and provided with a uid port communieating with said passageway, means arranged on said body member for engaging with the wall of the well comprising a plurality of dogs and a dashpot assembly provided with a piston operatively connected to said dogs for urging said dogs into contact with the walls of the well, a slidable sleeve mounted on the mandrel and having an internal shoulder arranged adjacent an end thereof and being provided with a releasable connecting means on said end, said mandrel having an external shoulder on an end thereof engageable with said internal shoulder of the slidable sleeve, a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart spring members attached to said slidable sleeve and to said body member, a deformable packing member attached to said slidable sleeve and to said body member andy surrounding said spring members and enclosing a space in communication with the port on the mandrel whereby movement of said slidable sleeve toward the body member expands said spring members laterally to permit said well fluids to enter filling said space through said port and further movement of said slidable sleeve closes said port and entraps said well fluid in said space, expanding the deformable packing member against the wall of the well, and means attached to said releasable connecting means for raising and lowering said slidable sleeve.

7. A well packer in accordance with claim 6 in which the releasable connecting means is a fishing spear.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 7,244 Martin July 25, 1876 1,539,242 Carder May 26, 1925 2,216,268 Fritsche Oct. 1, 1940 2,549,728 Villines Apr. 17, 1951 2,630,864 Lynes Mar. l0, 1953 

